Why is it so easy to tell the difference between live and recorded music?


I would direct you to Steve Guttenberg’s most recent YouTube video. It is a question that I’ve often asked myself. Any thoughts?
marklindemann
Not in all cases so easy. But the answer is obvious - because microphones cannot 'hear' everything that ear can. Not to mention what happens to the signal down the chain.
DR yes (although there are easily available recordings with DRs of 20, or even better, of real music, and when I play them I still know they are recordings), but other things as well, such as ambient cues.